Abstract

This study examined the laminar-multiphase characteristics in hydrogen production processes by utilizing the simulation software, “COMSOL 5.3 multiphysics simulation software”. The study's objective enhanced the evaluation of the multiphase flow operations involved in hydrogen generation, and determined the key contributors to the multiphase flow in the production of hydrogen. The methodology of the study also involved the design and simulation of the multiphase flow operations involved in hydrogen production and showed the analysis of the flow properties, including pressure profile, velocity profile, concentration profile, and shear rate profile, thereby insights into the multiphase flow interactions. Additionally, the research results enabled an improved understanding of the multiphase flow interactions in hydrogen production and led to an improvement in the process operational conditions for the system. The inference of the study was based on the quantifiable results obtained from the simulation which provided a comprehensive analysis of the multiphase flow characteristics in hydrogen production. More importantly, the shear stress for water-hydrogen system and hydrogen were shown with the shear rate describing the gradient in velocity and the pressure profile, shear rate profile, and velocity profile were calculated for a 2D profile versus the arc length for each of these variables. Thereafter, the results of this research simulation demonstrated that high velocity profile for hydrogen flow was observed within the reactor; with the highest velocity observed in the reactor within the length of (0.5 – 6.5)m, hence indicating optimum length of the water-split reactor for maximum velocity flow. The results further indicated that the profile of water-hydrogen and hydrogen pressure becomes uniform at a distance of 1mm from the entrance and the maximum pressure flow for water-hydrogen and hydrogen fluids pressure are 17.8Pa and 238.27Pa which shows a sufficiently higher pressure of hydrogen.

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